I am wholly romantic when it comes to fireplaces. I love their warmth and the crackling sound the wood makes as it burns and turns to ash. Given their natural coziness, it must be idyllic having one in the kitchen, don't you think?

While I like the look of contained gas fireplaces, like you see in photos #8 and #10, wouldn't it be great to have a wood fireplace that could double as a pizza oven, like the one in photo #2 — although obviously you need to be much more cautious when you're dealing with an open flame like that. (Be careful, kids and pets!)